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5831327 tn?1377816314

C5-C6 Fusion Revision Surgery

Hi fellow back/neck pain sufferers...I'll be brief as possible but give little history. I was in a high speed head on years ago. They diagnosed me with a concussion and sent me packing. That was in 98...fat forward to 06 and one day my right arm goes numb. Comes back to near normal, but tingly. Then both arms start and the numbness, tingling, burning, itching are not going away. Finally get an approval for a cervical mri. Turns out the disc between is shot and the disc guts are pushing into the cord and flexing it out. Also states I have a syrinx in that area about 3mm wide by 11mm long approx. Neurosurgeon does a super job on the fusion in 08. About 9 months later with diminished sensation in arms, neck, back and shoulders I start playing sports again. Doing great, no issues. Then in May 2012, I am stopped at a T intersection...I am curled up like in a ball looking under the cars tires on the crest of the hill and looking left all squatted up trying to see because its a ridiculous intersection...them damn, what just happened??? A lady hits me from behind going only like 12mph...saying she didn't see me (too busy playing on her phone). So, wife takes me to the ER that night because I had a tough time walking and my fusion area is killing me. I am known to tough things out. Long story short, the MRI states that there are significant changes to the fusion hardware. The screws are no longer parallel to bottom of vertabra, they are angled down (clear as day on imaging). Looks like bone fragments also. So, neurosurgeon wants to do revision surgery...I see him Thursday to see exactly what that entails. Also had a diagnostic injection in both SI joints, turns out that the capsules are torn and the ligaments are torn. I have lived in a great deal of pain for 18 months...not as nearly much as some I have read on here...I feel for you all. So, it wasn't a long story short, but...I hope you weren't bored reading. Has anyone had a cervical fusion revision surgery due to an accident? I've has both SI joints fused with iFuse (SI Bone I think)... I still have a year recovery on those. Geez, sorry I rambled! And people say I hardly ever talk...
Keep your heads up high!
Ti man
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329165 tn?1515471990
All the best with your consult!  please keep us posted :)
Helpful - 0
5831327 tn?1377816314
That's great Smiley! Before the second impact I was doing pretty well. Softball isn't impact (but it can be if played correct ;)...hockey obviously is more so. I've always been active and the neurosurgeon said, "go play but just be careful". I did, was careful...then the 2nd crash. Anyway, so I asked the neurosurgeon who fused the SI joints when I could play again, he says not for at least a year pending the neck issue. Now I just go for walks. My appointment was today but he was running behind from his surgery schedule, so now it's Friday at 3:30... I'll be back and thanks for your response.
Have a good weekend,
Ti man
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329165 tn?1515471990
the word in astricts is "s u c k s".  sorry, not swearing :)
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329165 tn?1515471990
Hi there,

I read your post and then when I got to the part where you had the 2nd impact I thought:  that *****!

Sorry you had to go through so much and now this!

I have not had revision-surgery, but I had my C5,6,7 fused and stabilized 2 years ago (had a neck injury in 1994 - fell backwards while ice skating and split my head open!) and eventually had the surgery due to nerve-compression (all the symptoms you described).

My biggest fear is the day that I'll get involved in a car accident or something that could have an impact on my neck!  I avoid all contact sports and have never been very adventurous but have not had a lot of luck with the little that I do :)

I would imagine the 2nd surgery would be a lot more complicated than the 1st and please come back and keep us updated as we can all learn from each other's experience.

All the best,
Helpful - 0
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